


All Grown Up

by Not_You



Series: Secret Son [5]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Disability, F/M, First Date, Fluff, Food, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-28
Updated: 2013-05-01
Packaged: 2017-12-09 20:59:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/777926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Jimmy is twenty-two and has a girlfriend while Tony freaks out about his baby growing up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_"I don't think I can take this," Tony whimpers, looking even older than his years, hands over his eyes._

_"Be strong, Tony," Steve says, patting his back. "You can do this."_

_"He doesn't even have to do anything!" Clint snaps, exasperated. "Jesus, the kid has a girlfriend, be happy for him."_

_"But my baby's growing up!" Tony whines, and then laughs at himself, revealing his face and looking a little better. "Seriously, I know he's twenty-two, it's just a bit much for me to take."_

_"At least tell me you haven't sent Natasha after the girl's information."_

_"Well, is it okay if I lie to you?"_

_"Dammit, Tony!"_

_"I have to know, all right? She could be anybody!"_

_"She's a very nice girl," Natasha says, coming in with a file in her hand. "And no, she's not a ringer, Tony. Or a spy. She is who she says she is, no more and no less."_

_"Okay. That's good." Tony runs his hands through his hair and reaches for the file. Natasha hands it over, and Clint and Steve both gather around, curiosity outweighing disapproval. Jimmy has been talking about a girl in his art class for a while now, and even Steve can't deny wanting to see her._

_"Well," Tony says, "the children would be beautiful."_

_They would. Rose's face is heart-shaped, delicate and beautiful. Her skin is soft brown and her hair is blonde and tightly curled._

Jimmy isn't sure what love is, but he's pretty sure he loves Rose. They're in the same art class and she's like him. Sort of. She doesn't mind yellow at all, but she hates jingling noises like most bells. Handbells are okay, though. They make a nice, sustained and clear tone, not jangly at all. Rose plays handbells, and Jimmy loves to listen. He loves her art, too. Rose paints big pictures of fruit, all close up and in vivid colors. Even the banana one is beautiful, despite being yellow. Rose doesn't like many people, and Jimmy is glad she likes him. He wants to keep everything jangly away from her, and that's definitely part of loving someone.

Today they're having dinner together at one of Jimmy's favorite places. Rose doesn't mind when her food touches, but Jimmy still does. He eats more than one thing at a time now, but carries his own divided plate. The kitchen here is used to him, and the waitress smiles when she sees them together. Rose smiles back, but doesn't say anything. She has a hard time talking to people she doesn't know. But she knows Jimmy, so he can tell the waitress what they want. He orders for Rose first, and asks them to please leave the capers off of the cheese ravioli. Jimmy likes capers, but Rose has never had them and doesn't want to start now. They're already in public and dressed up, that's a lot for Rose to deal with without adding capers. She looks incredible, and Jimmy hopes she understood just how much he meant it when he told her so. She's wearing green, of course. She likes to find people's favorite colors and wear them, so her dress is shimmering emerald green. It's the same color as Jimmy's tie, and they didn't even plan it. Daddy would be proud. Jimmy hopes Daddy isn't here tonight. He worries a lot, and might be lurking somewhere. He's too old to worry so much, and there's nothing to worry about anyway. Jimmy and Rose will be fine. Daddy has taught Jimmy about wine, so he's able to order them a half bottle of a nice white. They play a cooperative color-matching game on his tablet while they wait for the food to arrive, and Rose softly tells him about her day and the new piece she's learning.

_"How are they doing?" Tony hisses. Natasha is across from him and positioned to watch Jimmy and Rose over her menu._

_"Fine. They're playing a game on his tablet and they're both twenty-two, _Chad_."_

_"Shut up, Phyllis. A father worries."_

The cooks remember about the capers, and Rose smiles in relief to see her ravioli free of them. "Thank you," she manages to say in her small people-she-doesn't-know voice. The waitress just smiles and makes sure they don't need anything else before going away again. Jimmy's divided plate has buttered pasta in the large part, and saltimbocca in one small division and steamed vegetables in the other. He's really supposed to have the saltimbocca on the pasta, but that's too many textures. He might be able to eat them together, but he doesn't want to chance it in front of Rose, since he might have to run and spit it out.


	2. Chapter 2

_Tony can't help but flash back to that trip to the science museum when Jimmy was ten, because here he is, creeping along incognito with Natasha at his side. This time it's an art gallery, though. One of those galas these places have, and Tony is at least able to sip champagne while he worries. It actually takes him a moment to connect the name with the space and to realize that this is where they're exhibiting art by the Avengers. There's one of his own pop art looking blueprints, and one of Steve's actual paintings someone might actually want even if he wasn't Captain America. Between them is Natasha's frosty-looking blue and white abstract, with a splash of red on the bottom like the heart of a flame, and after Steve's gorgeous painting of the Rockies is Clint's bizarre scroll, just a repeating pattern done in black ballpoint pen, then Bruce's mandala-looking thing on a circle of cardboard and right next to it Hulk's massive canvas._

Hulk's picture is Jimmy's favorite. It's huge and green and makes him feel like he's safe under the canopy of some trackless and ancient jungle. It's not a painting of trees, it's just green smears, but the smears feel like trees. Rose understands, staring up at it with big, absorbed eyes.

"Hulk should paint more," she says, and Jimmy grins.

"Yeah. He should." He still hasn't told Rose exactly who he is, and is waiting for the right moment to do so. Really, now might be the time if they can get away from all the people. Jimmy gets them each some champagne and a bonbon because he likes both and wants Rose to try them. Daddy started bringing these back from things like this when Jimmy was twelve and finally able to eat filled candies. Chocolate and raspberry are different things, but they go great together. Rose nibbles delicately at hers, and smiles at him with her eyes. She tries the champagne and decides she likes it, sipping delicately. Jimmy can't help but be proud of himself to have given Rose two new things that she likes, and holds her hand as they wander around and look at the rest of the pictures. Thor's is mostly yellow, and Jimmy grimaces. Bright, bold yellow, in lightning bolt patterns that seem to glow. It's all too much for Jimmy, but Rose likes yellow just fine so he closes his eyes and stands there listening to the low crowd noise as she examines the canvas to her heart's content. He wishes she could touch it, Rose loves to touch things, but now is not the time to ask someone.

"It's okay now," Rose says at last, and takes his hand, leading him away. He opens his eyes and now they're looking at a close-up portrait of an ant done in black and red. Jimmy doesn't really know Dr. Pym, but he seems fairly understanding. He had had his ants all stay away from Natasha after learning that she can't stand insects, and that's good. Rose is fascinated by insects, though, and they spend a long time by the ant painting and the wasp one next to it.

_"God, I hate crawly things," Natasha mutters, and Tony chuckles._

_"That include Pym himself?"_

_"Shut up, Chad."_

_Tony does shut up and watches as Jimmy gently draws Rose away somewhere quiet. His immediate impulse is to follow, but he knows better than to listen to it._

"You know why I brought you here?" Jimmy asks, nervous and trying to keep from wiping his sweaty hands on his pants.

"Because we both like art?"

"Yeah, that's definitely most of it, but I have something to tell you.

"Okay."

Jimmy swallows. "So. Remember when you asked about my parents? And I said I had assistants who had mostly raised me because my dad was busy and my mom is dead?" She nods, and squeezes his hand the way she always does when Jimmy's mom comes up. She's a mama's girl and has some idea of how much it still hurts. Jimmy squeezes back. "Well, I never told you what he was busy doing."

_"You're a spy, you go check."_

_"Chad, the young lovers want to be alone," Natasha croons through her teeth._

_"B-but…"_

_"No. They're adults, you have to deal with that."_


	3. Chapter 3

"Tony Stark is my father," Jimmy tells her, quietly because he's still a secret to most people and he prefers it that way.

"…Are you lying?"

"No! I never do, Rose, you know that."

She nods, and kisses him softly, the touch apologetic and light. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Jimmy smiles. "It's okay."

"So you know all the Avengers?"

"I was there when Steve was working on the mountain painting."

"Wow."

"I didn't tell you because I'm not used to telling people."

Rose nods, and kisses him again. Jimmy still doesn't like kissing all that much, but Rose does and when she kisses him on the mouth it's nice. He sort of relaxes into the softness and the taste of Rose's breath, which has champagne and chocolate on it now. "I'm glad you trust me," she says when they pull apart, and Jimmy smiles.

_If Tony was freaking out about his son having a girlfriend, it's nothing on his nerves at the idea of meeting the kid. The whole team will see her, but Jimmy wants to do it one at a time. Rose is shy. And of course he's starting with his beloved Daddy and Tony is torn between melting into a puddle of paternal goo and giving in to utter panic._

Rose is also trying not to panic, taking deep, slow breaths in the elevator as they head for the personal floors of Avengers Tower. She's wearing red today, because Jimmy says his dad likes it. Rose likes dresses, and has a lot of them. This one is a shirtdress, and it looks good on her. Jimmy says so, and kisses her cheek before leading her out.

"Daddy?" Jimmy calls.

"Your father is in his laboratory, sir. I will alert him."

Jimmy thanks Jarvis, and Rose looks around curiously. She likes this place. It's pretty. She takes Jimmy's sleeve when Mr. Stark comes in, though, because she knows Jimmy doesn't like to hold hands when her hands are sweaty and she's nervous. He smiles at her, and then Tony Stark is coming in. It's so bizarre to see him in real life that she just stands and stares as Jimmy raises his hands and presses his palms to his father's palms, the two of them holding it for a moment.

"Hey, kiddo. This Rose?'

"Yep. Rose, this is Daddy."

Rose puts out her hand and Mr. Stark shakes it. "Pleased to meet you," he says, and seems to really mean it.

"Pleased to meet you," Rose parrots, and lets go of his hand. He smiles at her.

"I know, it's totally weird. Are you kids hungry?"

They are, and Mr. Stark steams broccoli for them, putting cheese sauce on it because Jimmy will eat things with sauce on them now. He has told Rose how long that took, and how his father had started him on things like quinoa with cheese sauce, so everything was creamy white together. Now Rose quietly eats her share, fascinated by the deep emerald green of the broccoli.

After lunch Mr. Stark leads them into the lab, and Rose is able to help Jimmy snap components together. These ones are for monitoring specific magical energies, and they match her dress. She sits with Jimmy and listens to Mr. Stark's work music, which isn't peaceful except for how it is.


End file.
